Iran court sentences one to death, eight to prison for role in December protests

[JURIST] An Iranian court sentenced [ISNA report, in Persian] one person to death and eight others to prison on Tuesday for their involvement in protests last December. The men were arrested [AFP report] for participating in protests [JURIST report] that interrupted the Shia Muslim celebration of Ashura. The unidentified man sentenced to death becomes the twelfth person to receive capital punishment for involvement in protests last year in Iran. Among the eight men that received prison sentences was Behzad Nabavi, a well-known activist and former Minister of Industry and Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament. Nabavi received [AP report] a sentence of five years imprisonment. The government charged the individuals with being enemies of god for violating community security, propaganda, attacking police, and arson.

The Iranian government continues to charge citizens in connection with the December protests, as well as those that followed the June presidential election [JURIST news archive]. Last week, former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh was sentenced [JURIST report] to six years in prison for his participation in post-election protests. Earlier this month, a report [JURIST report] indicated that Iran will soon execute nine people for their roles in the post-election protests. Two others were executed [JURIST report] in January. Last month, Iran's Prosecutor-General Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei called for sedition trials [JURIST report] against leaders of protests following the presidential election.

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